AE 402
Orbital Mechanics

Credit:  3 or 4 hours.


Analysis of orbits in an inverse-square gravitational field; elementary rocket dynamics, impulsive orbit transfer and rendezvous, and Lambert's Theorem with applications; patched-conic trajectories, planetary gravity-assist maneuvers, and linearized orbit theory with application to simplified analytical models; perturbations. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: AE 302 or consent of instructor.